The 50 Most Beautiful Places in the World 2017

Pinpointing all of the most beautiful places in the world could take a lifetime, but we think that these 50 otherworldly landscapes and awe-inspiring natural wonders need to move to the very top of your travel bucket list.

Holland is known around the world for its rainbow-hued fields of tulips, especially those located in and around Keukenhof. Millions of bulbs are planted in the park each year—visit in mid-April to see the flowers during their peak season.

Paro Taktsang, also known as "The Tiger's Nest" monastery, hangs on a cliffside precipice more than 10,000 feet above the ground. If the intricate temple complex doesn't wow you, then the sweeping views of the Paro valley surely will.

Known for its circular shape and strikingly deep blue color, the Great Blue Hole is a 1,000-foot-wide sinkhole in the middle of Belize's Lighthouse Reef. While an aerial shot is enough to convince anyone of its beauty, scuba divers are the ones who get to experience the wonders that lie beneath—massive limestone stalactites and stalagmites that formed during the last glacial period.

This archipelago off the northeast coast of Brazil consists of 21 islands, featuring some of the best beaches and most beautiful landscapes in the country. Think waterfalls, towering cliffs, stretches of white sand, and (maybe best of all) limited tourists.

There's a reason why more than 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon every year: It's one of the seven natural wonders of the world, but a lot easier to access than Mount Everest or the Great Barrier Reef.

While it may not be the first place you'd pick for a vacation abroad, Samarkand is a standout with intricately tiled buildings and colorfully dressed locals. It also has a rich history as a Silk Road stopping point.

Leave it to New Zealand to make even worms look beautiful. The Waitomo Caves hold thousands of bioluminescent larvae that leave long strings of mucus (sounds gross, looks dazzling) and glow like a subterranean Milky Way.

In case you were wondering where to find the world's tallest palm trees (palma de cera), you needn't look further. The lithe trees are even more incredible set against the backdrop of misty green hills and sharp mountains.

Santorini is officially one of the best islands in the world—and one of the most picturesque. The small village of Oia is particularly captivating, with its whitewashed buildings and bright blue roofs.

While Namaqualand is arid for most of the year, it comes alive for a short period during early springtime every year. During this time, the landscape becomes covered with orange and white daisies, along with a rainbow of other flowers, making it a temporary tourist attraction.

Although the largest living thing on Earth can be seen from space, the best vantage point belongs to the avid snorkelers and scuba divers who visit each year. If you must resurface, do it at the Whitsundays—namely Whitehaven Beach, often considered to be one of the world's most beautiful beaches (we tend to agree).

No matter how you choose to view the 700-million-year-old Uluru (or Ayers Rock)—from above by hot air balloon, across the desert on a motorcycle, hiking at the base during the technicolor sunset—witnessing its majesty should be on every traveler's bucket list.

Scenic might be an understatement in this case. This 100-square-mile attraction contains thousands of sandstone pillars that are nature's version of skyscrapers—some even stretch taller than the Empire State Building's midpoint.

Some popular tourist attractions are worth braving the potential crowds for, and Angkor Wat is at the top of that list. No matter how many Asian temples you've seen, this one will always be the grandest and most breathtaking.

Easily one of the most beautiful places in Canada, the remote Torngat Mountains National Park is a land of polar bears and caribou, glaciers and fjords, and a wild stretch of mountains you're not likely to ever forget.